July 19, 2024
KIPO Commissioner Delivers General Statement at the 65th WIPO General Assembly and Enhances Cooperation with WIPO
Commissioner Wan-Ki Kim of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) represented the Republic of Korea (ROK) as head of the delegation at the 65th General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held in Geneva, Switzerland, which lasted from July 9 to 17, 2024.
In his general statement addressed to the General Assembly of WIPO Member States on July 9, Commissioner Kim highlighted the paradigm-shifting impact of digital transformation and the ROK's adaptive measure in intellectual property (IP) administration and other related areas. In particular, he introduced KIPO's successful initiatives in leveraging artificial intelligence technology across the board and newly establishing a specialized patent examination division dedicated to secondary batteries.
Furthermore, Commissioner Kim expressed commendation and respect for the endeavors made by WIPO in realizing the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also underlined how KIPO has supported developing countries through the WIPO Funds-in-Trust Korea to enable innovation activities and IP capacity building, which contributes to achieving the SDGs. He further noted KIPO's support for women scientists, youth and small and medium enterprises in alignment with WIPO's Mid-Term Strategic Plan.
On July 8, Commissioner Kim held a bilateral meeting WIPO Director General Daren Tang to discuss global trends and prospects in the IP system as well as key cooperation agendas between the two organizations. When inquiring about the decline observed last year in the international filing of patent applications including those under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), Director General Tang attributed the trend to factors such as the slowdown of global investments affected by high interest rates, the preference for trade secrets by software companies, and the negative perception of IP among younger generations of advanced countries. In reply, Commissioner Kim emphasized that, regardless of this recent phenomenon, IP still plays an undeniably powerful role in the commercialization of innovative ideas, with which Director General Tang expressed his agreement.
The two heads also noted the important role and position the ROK holds in the global IP community. Director General Tang particularly acknowledged the rapid growth of the nation's content industry, while Commissioner Kim remarked the source of the ROK's creative comes from its unique experience in transitioning from a least developed country to an advanced nation.
Praising the ROK's contributions in advancing the world's IP system, Director General Tang expressed gratitude for the active operation of the WIPO Funds-in-Trust (FIT) Korea with the aim of helping developing countries enhance their IP capabilities, which has reached its 20th anniversary. He added that the ROK's cases of using IP as a driving force for economic growth have served as an exemplary model for other developing countries.
Lastly, noting the upcoming assignment of a WIPO staff member to the ROK in the second half of this year, Commissioner Kim and Director General Tang expressed mutual eagerness for the WIPO expert to soon provide the much-anticipated direct and practical support and services to Korean users.
In separate meeting between Commissioner Kim and WIPO Assistant Director General Edward Kwakwa of the Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector, both agreed to expand the office-to-office collaboration with a focus on finding ways to connect the WIPO GREEN initiative – a project to match demand and supply in carbon-neutral technology – with KIPO's Global IP Sharing Project, which will be another step taken closer to the SDGs.
At the conclusion of the events, Commissioner Kim stated, "Engaging with representatives from various WIPO Member States, I could personally experience the ROK's growing international recognition for its achievements and ability to use IP into a driving force for economic growth, which is serving as a model for others. Therefore, KIPO will continue to spare no efforts in assisting and collaborating with WIPO to achieve the SDGs and reduce the IP gap among countries."
